Bedrock Data’s Guided On-Boarding Engagement for Bi-Directional Sync

Goals

We’ve designed our on-boarding engagement for our bi-directional sync with these goals for our customers:

Rapid deployment of a standardized bi-directional sync

Setup in a rapid timeframe compared to most traditional system integration projects (typically 30 days)

Enable customers to be self-sufficient in managing the sync ongoing (e.g. adding new field mappings, adjusting sync rules)

Align with the Bedrock team for ongoing success through Bedrock customer success and support teams

Here’s what you need to know to prepare for and execute a successful on-boarding for your bi-directional sync:

Getting Ready for your Bedrock Sync Project

Who should be involved in the project?

You’re going to want to identify your Bedrock Data sync admin user(s). If you are connecting two systems, say a marketing automation & CRM system, then this would likely be either the marketing automation admin or the CRM admin or both.

The main pre-prerequisite for this admin user is that it’s someone familiar with the data to be mapped across the systems, and comfortable using an interface that’s performing data driven functions such as field mappings.

If the admins of the marketing automation or CRM are not going to be sync admins, you’ll still want them involved in the project so they are familiar with how data will be syncing, and can help if custom fields need to be setup in that specific system.

You don’t need any development resources involved in the project - as the project is focussed on managing field mappings & rules, and does not require any coding or programming.

What do we need to prepare?

The main input for the project is creating a list of the fields that you want to map between your connected systems.

It’s worth noting that part of the value of Bedrock is that you will be able to add/adjust your field mappings over time. So you don’t need to create the “perfect integration” (in terms of every field you might *ever* want to map), as you will be able to evolve the sync over time by adding a new field mapping down the road, as requirements evolve.

Your Bedrock Data Sync project

What does on-boarding include?

The Bedrock Data on-boarding is staffed by an implementation engineer, who is a product expert around our sync product and the best practices for implementation. The on-boarding includes:

Access for up to 45 days* to an implementation engineer

Assistance with connector installation

Help with initial setup and training for required, standard and recommended field mappings (e.g. first name, last name, email, job title, etc.)

Initial troubleshooting and training on how to self-troubleshoot

The above includes five hours of calls / screen shares as the typical on-boarding has weekly web meetings over a 4-5 week timeframe. We recommend having at least one admin per system included in the onboarding process. You will want to assign at least one team member to be responsible for managing the Bedrock integration to ensure that they take part in all of the training sessions.

For Bedrock scheduling purposes, the on-boarding start date is typically scheduled one to two weeks after signing up with Bedrock - these dates are defined on your quote/order form when signing up. The implementation engineer is assigned to your account for up to 45 days, giving an extra 15-day buffer from the typical 30-day timeframe.

The implementation engineer will ensure that your mappings are setup with the required, standard and recommended fields for your key integration goals and records have been tested to both create and update based on these mappings.

If your team needs to delay the official “go live” of the sync due to factors outside Bedrock’s control, any remaining troubleshooting will be completed with our support team. (If a customer is blocked from going live due to a conflict or issue that must be resolved by a Bedrock Data engineer, the 45 days can be extended).

What does on-boarding not include?

The responsibilities of the implementation engineer are focused on advising on the steps and best practices for the setup of a well optimized bi-directional sync.

For purposes of ensuring your key integration goals are implemented, there are certain setup requirements within the systems themselves where our onboarding team will help provide guidance.

For example, if you are mapping picklists between two systems, the implementation engineer will advise on the best practice that picklist values between the two systems should be updated within those systems to match - to avoid errors or data quality issues when syncing data. The implementation engineer will provide guidance for this update, but won’t be going into your systems to make these updates, as this responsibility is owned by the admins of your respective systems.

It’s also important heading into on-boarding to be clear on what the implementation engineer is not responsible for, so expectations are met: The Bedrock Implementation Engineer is not expected to provide consultative services on what or why you should be syncing specific information from one system to another (e.g. how should I determine what is a qualified lead to pass to my CRM?).

If your team is looking for more consultative services that go deeper into the systems you are connecting or deeper technical assistance to address any non-standard configuration, this falls outside of the scope of the implementation engineer and should be reviewed with our sales team as part of our professional service packages.

What are we (the customer) responsible for?

Customers are responsible for:

Authenticating your systems for connection to Bedrock. Usually this requires admin level authentication to grant Bedrock read/write access; some systems also have options for custom roles that can be setup if required.

Defining your rules e.g.

What fields you want to sync

‘Sync workflow’ rules: when records should initially push across from one system to the other

'System of record’ rules for each field to govern the behavior of the bi-directional sync ('most recent update' back & forth, and one system authoritative over the other - for each field mapping)

Setup or adjustment of any custom fields in the respective systems

Any testing beyond the core Bedrock testing

What happens after we sign up?

In the time between your sign-up date and your kickoff date (which is also the start of billing), there are several steps you can take to get prepared for your project.

Within 1-2 days of signing up for your bi-directional sync, you will get an intro email from the Bedrock Data implementation engineer which will include:

If Connectors are installed prior to kick off, we typically spend the second half of the kickoff call beginning to setup the required field mappings

In between Kickoff Call & Call #2

Bedrock to start the initial indexing process of your data

Customer discuss internally if there are additional fields you want to map (outside basics, required and recommended)

Create the custom fields for the above

Enable rules for when you want records synced initially which would include steps such as:

Create a sync flag field (for workflows)

Create a sync trigger field on all objects in both systems (single line text)

Discuss what the conditions are going to be for syncing records by flipping the sync flag

Potentially implement connected system automation (i.e. HubSpot workflows) to facilitate the flipping of the sync flag field

Day 7: Mapping & Workflow Workshop Call

The goal of this session is for customer to be enabled to start mapping their own fields

Bedrock Implementation Engineer provide guidance via screen share

Try & complete the mappings (if a reasonable number)

Setup workflow rules to define when records push across

If time permits, run a test (create a contact from one system to another)

In between Mapping Workshop & Call #3

Finish mapping any remaining fields not mapped during workshop

Implementation Engineer available to answer any further questions that come up

If mappings are complete, start testing the integration in preparation for next call

Day 14: Finalize Mappings & Troubleshooting Call

Finalize any remaining field mappings

Review any tests conducted offline since last call

If no tests conducted, start running some during this call

Review any conflicts that may arise and go through steps to resolve (triage for follow up as needed)

Review best practices for troubleshooting and how to use transaction report to view errors

Review of support resources & how to use for any future troubleshooting

In between Call #3 & Call #4

Investigation around any open items

Customer to run additional tests offline and work with support on any questions around conflicts that may arise (Support team is best resource to use as they are more optimized for response time than the implementation engineer)

Day 21: Review Troubleshooting & Conflict Resolution Call

Go over questions about how to resolve conflicts using transaction report

Discuss general troubleshooting methods

Review any outstanding conflicts not yet resolved (if any)

Discuss the process for bringing the sync live

Discuss best practices for maintaining the sync and ensuring optimal performance

Day 28: Finalize Tests / Discuss Go Live

Final tests/cleanup any outstanding issues

Go live by making an update to the previously created ‘sync trigger’ single line text field on all necessary objects - this will set the sync to now sync ‘live data’

Run a Bedrock reset (if necessary) - this usually isn’t necessary and only would be if rules have changed considerably since starting the process

Monitor initial data sync

Work with Bedrock support to solve any individual trouble records

And now your sync is deployed.

On an ongoing basis, you’ll now be using the software if you need to make any changes (e.g. add new field mappings) and you’ll have access to Bedrock’s support team for any ongoing assistance you need for making changes to the sync or troubleshooting.